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I think it is worth saying again that I think your Dad is showing early signs of dementia . I know his attitude to his grandchildren is upsetting but that is one of the signs of dementia. Your Dad's world is shrinking, the people who he is acknowledging are shrinking down to the nearest , dearest and those doing active things for him. Please please don't take it so personally. Dementia is a cruel business and can make someone extremely selfish and self focussed. To your dad it may well apear that your children and his niece are a nuisance, they aren't there to serve him and are distracting other people from giving him the time and attention he is now craving. He is not a bad man but an ill man who needs handling and managing.
Just because your dad can still remember things and is still self functioning doesn't mean that he is just old and nasty and doesn't have dementia. Please do take time to read through the previous links I have sent on early stage dementia. . Believe me that you will be the first person to see the signs and not the medical profession.

Paul
Im not intending to take up your thread so please forgive. Just want to explain something to Stephen.
It's not an absolute certainty that your mum will get to the point that she won't recognise you. A possibility yes of course. Late hubby always recognised me and my family, thankfully, and lots of the residents in the nursing home continued to know their loved ones. Not all. Face it if it happens, and it's good you are aware, but try not to dwell. This is imho.

Back to Paul- also the miserly money "won't spend my gold as saving for a rainy day" syndrome plus constant pestering phone calls plus inability to have any empathy , constant moaning and not wanting to go out himself- all classic signs Paul.

I think it is worth saying again that I think your Dad is showing early signs of dementia . I know his attitude to his grandchildren is upsetting but that is one of the signs of dementia. Your Dad's world is shrinking, the people who he is acknowledging are shrinking down to the nearest , dearest and those doing active things for him. Please please don't take it so personally. Dementia is a cruel business and can make someone extremely selfish and self focussed. To your dad it may well apear that your children and his niece are a nuisance, they aren't there to serve him and are distracting other people from giving him the time and attention he is now craving. He is not a bad man but an ill man who needs handling and managing.
Just because your dad can still remember things and is still self functioning doesn't mean that he is just old and nasty and doesn't have dementia. Please do take time to read through the previous links I have sent on early stage dementia. . Believe me that you will be the first person to see the signs and not the medical profession.

Back to Paul- also the miserly money "won't spend my gold as saving for a rainy day" syndrome plus constant pestering phone calls plus inability to have any empathy , constant moaning and not wanting to go out himself- all classic signs Paul.

Yeh know what you mean. Trouble is twice now I've spoken to his GP (a hard task in itself) and both times they have said, categorically, without a doubt he does not have dementia and, even though, I tried to get them to they refused to push it any further.

With the behaviour thing, does a person with dementia change rapidly like this? Thing is a lot of my Dad behaviour stems from probably last 30-40 years its just got worse.

A CT scan can show areas of the brain where shrinkage has/is occurred/occurring.
It was my Mum's CT scan which fully revealed the extent of her Alzheimer's dementia - especially in the areas connected with memory.

The scan showed the several Tia's that hubby had suffered. Looked like pin pricks on his brain. These Tia's ( mini strokes) are often hidden. The memory tests in the assessment centre established he had vascular dementia.

A CT scan can show areas of the brain where shrinkage has/is occurred/occurring.
It was my Mum's CT scan which fully revealed the extent of her Alzheimer's dementia - especially in the areas connected with memory.

This is all sorts of dementia? Trouble is GP wont even entertain the idea let alone a CT scan!